‘We were just messin’ ‘

When SB 1111 passed the House unanimously yesterday, to provide a new self-funded benefit to help permanently disabled law enforcement officers like former Coeur d'Alene police officer Mike Kralicek with their family's health insurance costs - the bill wouldn't help Kralicek, but it'd help others like him in the future - the vote was unanimous. But when the House voting board first lit up, it showed two red lights - from Reps. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, and Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries. "I was just playing around," said Clark, who explained that he initially pushed the "no" button just to make the bill's sponsor, Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, sweat a little. Both Clark and Harwood switched to "yes" votes, causing the lights by their names to turn green, before the voting was closed. Jorgenson, asked about the incident, said, "I think it's typical Jim Clark - the fact is, nothing like that surprises me when it comes to Jim." He added, "It's too bad people can't just vote on a bill, and not mix personality into it, and Jim's got a lot of personality to mix."

Harwood had an explanation similar to Clark's. "We were just messin'," he said with a grin. "The final vote's what really counts, right?"